Just read this and honestly none of it is surprising. Lufthansa is again calling out Germany and the EU for making it way harder and more expensive for European airlines to compete globally.
They’re basically saying yes, Germany finally agreed to lower aviation taxes a bit starting in 2026, but it’s nowhere near enough. Flying an A320 out of Frankfurt still costs multiples more in taxes and fees than flying the same plane out of Istanbul, and even Zurich is way cheaper. That gap alone explains why capacity keeps shifting away from Germany.
They also took a shot at the EU’s SAF plan, saying it looks nice on paper but doesn’t actually lower fuel costs or create a level playing field. More rules, more reporting, more costs, while non EU carriers don’t deal with the same burden.
Feels like Lufthansa is saying what most European airlines are thinking but don’t always say out loud. Between taxes, fees, climate rules, and infrastructure issues, Europe is kind of pricing itself out of being an aviation hub.
Curious how long this can go on before more routes just quietly disappear.
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